Malate dehydrogenase, circular dichroism difference spectra of porcine heart mitochondrial and supernatant enzymes, binary enzyme-coenzyme, and ternary enzyme-coenzyme-substrate analog complexes.

Circular dichroism spectra and circular dichroism difference spectra, generated when porcine heart mitochondrial and supernatant malate dehydrogenase bind coenzymes or when enzyme dihydroincotinamide nucleotide binary complexes bind substrate analogs, are presented. No significant changes are observed in protein chromophores in the 200- to 240-nm spectral range indicating that there is apparently little or no perturbation of the alpha helix or peptide backbone when binary or ternary complexes are formed. Quite different spectral perturbances occur in the two enzymes with reduced coenzyme binding as well as with substrate-analog binding by enzyme-reduced coenzyme binding. Comparison of spectral perturbations in both enzymes with oxidized or reduced coenzyme binding suggests that the dihydronicotinamide moiety of the coenzyme interacts with or perturbs indirectly the environment of aromatic amino acid residues. Reduced coenzyme binding apparently perturbs tyrosine residues in both mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase and lactic dehydrogenase. Reduced coenzyme binding perturbs tyrosine and tryptophan residues in supernatant malate dehydrogenase. The number of reduced coenzyme binding sites was determined to be two per 70,000 daltons in the mitochondrial enzyme, and the reduced coenzyme dissociation constants, determined through the change in ellipticity at 260 nm, with dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide binding, were found to be good agreement with published values (Holbrook, J. J., and Wolfe, R. G. (1972) Biochemistry 11, 2499-2502) obtained through fluorescence-binding studies and indicate no apparent extra coenzyme binding sites. When D-malate forms a ternary complex with malate dehydrogenase-reduced coenzyme complexes, perturbation of both adenine and dihydronicotinamide chromophores is evident. L-Malate binding, however, apparently produces only a perturbation of the adenine chromophore in such complexes. Since the coenzyme has been found to bind in an open conformation on the surface of the enzyme and the substrate analogs bind at or very near the dihydronicotinamide moiety binding site, protein conformational changes are implicated during ternary complex formation with D-malate which can effect the adenine chromophore at some distance from the substrate binding site.     

Conformational properties of pig-heart cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase. Circular-dichroism and absorption-spectroscopic study of dicarboxylate binding.

1. The interaction between aspartate aminotransferase and dicarboxylates of various chain lengths and geometries has been studied from pH 6.5 TO 8.5 by circular dichroism (CD) and absorption spectroscopy. Liganding causes protonation of the pyridoxal phosphate-enzyme Schiff's base complex; the consequent changes in optical properties deltaAlambda, deltaCDlambda at the coenzyme maxima (lambda = 363 or 430 nm) are analysed for binding constants and the degree of perturbation of the coenzyme protonic dissociation constant, pKa. 2. Aliphate dicarboxylates follow linear binding functions for all optical parameters; in contrast, m and p-phthalates follow non-linear binding functions for both deltaAlambda and deltaCDlambda, implying that successive phthalate ligands bind with decreasing affinity. The ratio detlaCDlambda is effectively constant for a given ligand and the characteristic values for aromatic ligands indicate a changed environment for the coenzyme. 3. Inspection of the non-linear process for phthalates suggests that initially, binding occurs with high affinity, but with characteristically small effects on pKa. It is inferred that alipathic and aromatic dicarboxylates bind at different subsites in the active site region, perturbing the coenzyme pKa by an indirect protein-mediated mechanism. 4. Non-linearity of binding could derive from multiple binding to an individual subunit. Alternatively, different single sites may exist on adjacent subunits of the dimer, implying non-equivalence between otherwise identical subunits, expressed in properties involving groups close to the active site.     

Coenzyme binding by native and chemically modified pig heart triphosphopyridine nucleotide dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase.

The binding of TPNH to native and chemically modified pig heart TPN-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase was studied by the techniques of ultrafiltration and fluorescence enhancement. A single site (per peptide chain) was found for TPNH with a dissociation constant (KD = 1.45 muM) that is quantitatively comparable to the Michaelis constant. The oxidized coenzyme, TPN+, weakens the binding of TPNH. The substrate manganous isocitrate also inhibits the binding of TPNH and, reciprocally, TPNH inhibits the binding of manganous isocitrate, suggesting that binding to the reduced coenzyme and substrate sites is mutually exclusive. Ultrafiltration experiments with carbonyl [14C]TPN+ revealed the existence of two sites with a dissociation constant (49 muM) more than ten times higher than the Michaelis constant. This observation excludes a random mechanism for isocitrate dehydrogenase or a sequential mechanism in which TPN+ binds first. Four chemically modified isocitrate dehydrogenases have been prepared: enzyme inactivated by reaction of a single methionyl residue with iodoacetate, by modification of a glutamyl residue by glycinamide (in the presence of a water soluble carbodiimide), by reaction of four cysteines successively with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) and potassium cyanide, or by addition of two cysteine residues to N-ethylmaleimide. These enzymes were tested for their ability to bind TPN+, TPNH, and manganous isocitrate. In the cases of the cysteinyl and glutamyl-modified enzymes, inactivation appears to be due primarily to loss of the ability to bind the substrate manganous isocitrate. In constrast, the methionyl residue may participate in the coenzyme binding site or, more likely, may be involved in a step in catalysis subsequent to binding.     

The Wellcome Foundation lecture, 1982. Opioid peptides and their receptors

The remarkable feature of the opioid system is the complexity of its ligands and their interactions with the mu-, delta- and kappa-binding sites. The three endogenous opioid precursors give rise to more than ten opioid fragments. The fragments of pro-opiocortin and pro-enkephalin have affinities mainly to the mu- and delta-binding sites and those of pro-dynorphin have a preference for the kappa-binding site. It is important to realize that some of the larger fragments may have pharmacological actions that are of a non-opioid character. As the endogenous opioid peptides bind to more than one of the types of binding sites, it was necessary to obtain synthetic compounds that bind almost exclusively at one site. There are now agonists for which this aim has been achieved but we still require antagonists that are exclusively selective for only one opioid site. The results obtained with opioid peptides or non-peptides having such qualities would be the physiological basis for a correlation of the binding at mu-, delta- and kappa-receptors with their pharmacological effects. Furthermore, since almost all endogenous opioid ligands are degraded by peptidases, it is necessary to synthesize non-toxic inhibitors of those peptidases that play a role in opioid transmission. Related to this problem is the need to develop methods for the study of the release of various endogenous opioid peptides under physiological conditions.     

A comparison of eel electroplax and snake venom acetylcholinesterase

The effects of some cholinergic ligands, harmala alkaloids and local anesthetics on the activity of eel electroplax and Naja naja siamensis venom acetylcholinesterase have been studied. In most cases, eel electroplax was found to be more susceptible towards inhibition than the venom acetylcholinesterase. No major difference was observed with respect to the type of inhibition in both enzymes. The activation of the two enzyme preparations by inorganic cations (Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+) showed a similar pattern. In both preparations, the onset of activation was detectable at much lower concentration with the divalent metal ions than with the monovalent Na+. Antagonism between Ca2+ and decamethonium, tubocurarine and tetracaine in both enzymes approached competitive kinetics. The onset of substrate inhibition is delayed by Ca2+ (30 mM) in both enzymes. It is suggested that the Ca2+ binding site overlaps with the substrate inhibitory site. It is concluded that cobra venom acetylcholinesterase has similar allosteric binding sites to those of eel electroplax.     

Binding to chicken liver lactatedehydrogenase (author's transl)]

Some information about the lactate dehydrogenase NAD binding site has been obtained by working with coenzymes analogs of incomplete molecules. 5'AMP, 5'-ADP, ATP, 5'-c-AMP and 3'(2)-AMP inhibit chicken liver LDH activity competitively with NADH. 5"-AMP and 5'-ADP show a stronger inhibition power than ATP, suggesting that the presence of one or two phosphate groups at the 5' position of adenosine, is essential for the binding of the coenzyme analogs at the enzyme binding site. Ribose and ribose-5'-P do not appear to inhibit the LDH activity, proving that purine base lacking mononucleotides do not bind to the enzyme. 5"-ADPG inhibits LDH activity in the exactly as 5'-ADP, showing that ribose moiety may be replaced by glucose, without considerable effects on the coenzyme analog binding. 2'-desoxidenosin-5'-phosphate proves to be a poorer inhibitor of the LDH activity than 5'-AMP, indicating that an interaction between the--OH groups and the amino-acids of the LDH active center takes place. Nicotinamide does not produce any inhibition effect, while NMN and CMP induce a much weaker inhibition than the adenine analogues, thus indicating a lesser binding capacity to the enzyme. Therefore, the LDH binding site seems to show some definite specificity towards the adenina groups of the coenzyme.     

5'-N-ethylcarboxamide[3H]adenosine binding sites of mouse mastocytoma P815 cell membranes: characterization and solubilization

Mouse mastocytoma P815 cell membranes were found to possess adenosine binding sites as assessed by using the adenosine agonist [3H]5'-N-ethylcarboxamideadenosine (NECA). The Kd and Bmax for the [3H]NECA binding at 0 degrees C were 380 nM and 17 pmol/mg of protein, respectively. The rank order of potency for inhibition of [3H]NECA binding was NECA greater than 5'-N-cyclopropylcarboxamideadenosine greater than 2-chloroadenosine greater than 2',5'-dideoxyadenosine greater than isobutylmethylxanthine greater than theophylline greater than N6-[(R)-1-methyl-2-phenylethyl]adenosine = N6-[(S)-1-methyl-2- phenylethyl]adenosine. Thermodynamic analyses of the adenosine receptor agonist and antagonist binding showed that all such ligands displayed negative values of both enthalpy and entropy which suggested that the driving force for the binding was enthalpic. [3H]NECA binding sites of P815 cell membranes were solubilized with sodium cholate and retaining the same ligand-binding characteristics as those of the membrane-bound form. By gel filtration on a Sepharose CL-6B column, the adenosine binding site was estimated to have a Stokes radius of approximately 6.7 nm.     

Conformation of coenzyme fragments when bound to lactate dehydrogenase

The conformations of adenosine, 5′-AMP and 5′-ADP when bound to dogfish M₄ lactate dehydrogenase at pH 7.8 or greater have been determined at 2.8 Å resolution to investigate the events on coenzyme binding. The coenzyme fragments AMP and ADP induce a conformational change in lactate dehydrogenase at pH values less than 6.0 in the same way as do NAD⁺, NADH or ADPR at any pH value. The structure of NAD⁺ when bound to lactate dehydrogenase had previously been determined at 5.0 Å resolution. The structures of the bound adenosine, AMP, ADP and NAD⁺ are compared with the preliminary structure of NAD in a 3.0 Å resolution map of the ternary complex LDH-NAD—pyruvate. Small but significant changes in the binding of the phosphates could be important in the folding of the protein loop over the substrate binding pocket.     

Kinetics of native and modified liver alcohol dehydrogenase with coenzyme analogues: isomerization of enzyme-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide complex

Coenzyme analogues with the adenosine ribose replaced with n-propyl, n-butyl, and n-pentyl groups; coenzyme analogues with the adenosine replaced with 3-(4-acetylanilino)propyl and 6-(4-acetylanilino)hexyl moieties; and nicotinamide mononucleotide, nicotinamide hypoxanthine dinucleotide, and 3-acetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide were used in steady-state kinetic studies with native and activated, amidinated enzymes. The Michaelis and inhibition constants increased up to 100-fold upon modification of coenzyme or enzyme. Turnover numbers with NAD+ and ethanol increased in some cases up to 10-fold due to increased rates of dissociation of enzyme-reduced coenzyme complexes. Rates of dissociation of oxidized coenzyme appeared to be mostly unaffected, but the values calculated (10-60 s-1) were significantly less than the turnover numbers with acetaldehyde and reduced coenzyme (20-900 s-1, at pH 8, 25 degrees C). Rates of association of coenzyme analogues also decreased up to 100-fold. When Lys-228 in the adenosine binding site was picolinimidylated, turnover numbers increased about 10-fold with NAD(H). Furthermore, the pH dependencies for association and dissociation of NAD+ and turnover number with NAD+ and ethanol showed the fastest rates above a pK value of 8.0. Turnover with NADH and acetaldehyde was fastest below a pK value of 8.1. These results can be explained by a mechanism in which isomerization of the enzyme-NAD+ complex (110 s-1) is partially rate limiting in turnover with NAD+ and ethanol (60 s-1) and is controlled by ionization of the hydrogen-bonded system that includes the water ligated to the catalytic zinc and the imidazole group of His-51.     

Adenosine kinase from human erythrocytes: kinetic studies and characterization of adenosine binding sites

The reaction catalyzed by adenosine kinase purified from human erythrocytes proceeds via a classical ordered sequential mechanism in which adenosine is the first substrate to bind to and AMP is the last product to dissociate from the enzyme. However, the interpretation of the steady-state kinetic data is complicated by the finding that while AMP acts as a classical product inhibitor at concentrations greater than 5 mM, at lower concentrations AMP can act as an apparent activator of the enzyme under certain conditions. This apparent activation by AMP is proposed to be due to AMP allowing the enzyme mechanism to proceed via an alternative reaction pathway that avoids substrate inhibition by adenosine. Quantitative studies of the protection of the enzyme afforded by adenosine against both spontaneous and 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid)-mediated oxidation of thiol groups yielded "protection" constants (equivalent to enzyme-adenosine dissociation constant) of 12.8 microM and 12.6 microM, respectively, values that are more than an order of magnitude greater than the dissociation constant (Kia = 0.53 microM) for the "catalytic" enzyme-adenosine complex. These results suggest that adenosine kinase has at least two adenosine binding sites, one at the catalytic center and another quite distinct site at which binding of adenosine protects the reactive thiol group(s). This "protection" site appears to be separate from the nucleoside triphosphate binding site, and it also appears to be the site that is responsible for the substrate inhibition caused by adenosine.     

Monoclonal antibodies to Torpedo acetylcholine receptor. Characterisation of antigenic determinants within the cholinergic binding site

Thirteen monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) from Torpedo marmorata showed high avidity for the receptor but none exhibited binding to muscle AChR solubilised from seven other animal species. Five mAb and Fab monomer fragments prepared from two of them, inhibited alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha BuTx) binding to receptor by a maximum of 50%. In the presence of excess mAb the 125I-alpha BuTx bound could be precipitated by anti-IgG indicating that the mAb bound to only one of the two alpha BuTx binding sites on each AChR monomer. This site appeared to have a lower affinity for d-tubocurarine and decamethonium than the non-mAb site. Binding of five anti-site mAb was mutually competitive and four of them (AS2-AS5) were inhibited by other cholinergic ligands and influenced by four non-toxin binding site antibodies. One (AS1) bound within the toxin binding site yet outside the main neurotransmitter binding region. It is concluded that these five mAb distinguish between the two alpha BuTx binding sites on the Torpedo AChR, and bind only to the site which displays lower affinity for d-tubocurarine and other competitive ligands.     

Preparations of holodehydrogenases by covalent fixation of NAD+-analogs to alcohol and lactate dehydrogenase

Diazoniumaryl residues which are connected to the adenosine part of the coenzyme NAD⁺ react with amino acid residues of dehydrogenases. These coenzyme analogs bind to the active site of the enzymes. The binary complexes are stabilized by the formation of ternary dead-end complexes with pseudosubstrates. After removal of these pseudosubstrates, the coenzyme analogs remain attached in the vicinity of the active sites by azo bridges. Addition of enzyme substrates to the synthesized holoenzymes causes an immediate reduction of the covalent-bound analogs. Reoxidation can be achieved by pH changes or by addition of adequate substrates. This modification does not cause a strong loss of enzymatic activity of the enzymes. The optical properties of the holoenzymes are in accordance with that of binary NAD⁺ (NADH)-enzyme complexes.     

Homology of Escherichia coli B glutathione synthetase with dihydrofolate reductase in amino acid sequence and substrate binding site

Glutathione synthetase from Escherichia coli B showed amino acid sequence homology with mammalian and bacterial dihydrofolate reductases over 40 residues, although these two enzymes are different in their reaction mechanisms and ligand requirements. The effects of ligands of dihydrofolate reductase on the reaction of E. coli B glutathione synthetase were examined to find resemblances in catalytic function to dihydrofolate reductase. The E. coli B enzyme was potently inhibited by 7,8-dihydrofolate, methotrexate, and trimethoprim. Methotrexate was studied in detail and proved to bind to an ATP binding site of the E. coli B enzyme with K1 value of 0.1 mM. The homologous portion of the amino acid sequence in dihydrofolate reductases, which corresponds to the portion coded by exon 3 of mammalian dihydrofolate reductase genes, provided a binding site of the adenosine diphosphate moiety of NADPH in the crystal structure of dihydrofolate reductase. These analyses would indicate that the homologous portion of the amino acid sequence of the E. coli B enzyme provides the ATP binding site. This report gives experimental evidence that amino acid sequences related by sequence homology conserve functional similarity even in enzymes which differ in their catalytic mechanisms.     

Structural requirements of mitochondrial D-beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase with respect to its coenzyme

The purpose of this work was to test structural analogs of NAD+ in order to know enzyme requirements of chemical structure of coenzyme to get catalytic activity and, in a other hand to see which chemical parts of the coenzyme were involved in the coenzyme binding to the active site. The binding of the coenzyme analog at the catalytic site requires an adenosine diphosphoribose structure without any additional phosphate group on the ribose linked to adenine.     

Interactions of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate analogues and fragments with pigeon liver malic enzyme. Synergistic effect between the nicotinamide and adenine moieties.

The structural requirements of the NADP+ molecule as a coenzyme in the oxidative decarboxylation reaction catalysed by pigeon liver malic enzyme were studied by kinetic and fluorimetric analyses with various NADP+ analogues and fragments. The substrate L-malate had little effect on the nucleotide binding. Etheno-NADP+, 3-acetylpyridine-adenine dinucleotide phosphate, and nicotinamide-hypoxanthine dinucleotide phosphate act as alternative coenzymes for the enzyme. Their kinetic parameters were similar to that of NADP+. Thionicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate, 3-aminopyridine-adenine dinucleotide phosphate, 5'-adenylyl imidodiphosphate, nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide 3'-phosphate and NAD+ act as inhibitors for the enzyme. The first two were competitive with respect to NADP+ and non-competitive with respect to L-malate; the other inhibitors were non-competitive with NADP+. All NADP+ fragments were inhibitory to the enzyme, with a wide range of affinity, depending on the presence or absence of a 2'-phosphate group. Compounds with this group bind to the enzyme 2-3 orders of magnitude more tightly than those without this group. Only compounds with this group were competitive inhibitors with respect to NADP+. We conclude that the 2'-phosphate group is crucial for the nucleotide binding of this enzyme, whereas the carboxyamide carbonyl group of the nicotinamide moiety is important for the coenzyme activity. There is a strong synergistic effect between the binding of the nicotinamide and adenosine moieties of the nucleotide molecule.     

Tyrosine 65 is photolabeled by 8-azidoadenine and 8-azidoadenosine at the NAD binding site of diphtheria toxin

8-Azidoadenine and 8-azidoadenosine, two photoactivatable derivatives of adenine and adenosine, are competitive inhibitors of diphtheria toxin of similar potency with respect to their parent compounds. On irradiation, the two tritium-labeled photoactivatable azidoadenines bind covalently and specifically to an enzymic fragment of diphtheria toxin that is known to bind to NAD. This photolabeling is protected by the enzyme substrate NAD. The radiolabeled protein was fragmented, and the radioactive fragments were sequenced. Tyr-65 is labeled specifically by both photoreagents, and its labeling was reduced strongly when NAD was present during irradiation. Labeling is also reduced strongly by adenine, adenosine, and nicotinamide. These results suggest that Tyr-65 is at the NAD binding site of diphtheria toxin and that the competitive inhibitors adenine, adenosine, and nicotinamide bind to the same portion of the catalytic center of the toxin.     

Structure- and Ligand-Based Virtual Screening Identifies New Scaffolds for Inhibitors of the Oncoprotein MDM2

A major challenge in the field of ligand discovery is to identify chemically useful fragments that can be developed into inhibitors of specific protein-protein interactions. Low molecular weight fragments (with molecular weight less than 250 Da) are likely to bind weakly to a protein’s surface. Here we use a new virtual screening procedure which uses a combination of similarity searching and docking to identify chemically tractable scaffolds that bind to the p53-interaction site of MDM2. The binding has been verified using capillary electrophoresis which has proven to be an excellent screening method for such small, weakly binding ligands.     

The inhibition of pig kidney alkaline phosphatase by oxidized or reduced nicotinamide–adenine dinucleotide and related compounds

1. The inhibition of alkaline phosphatase by NAD(+), NADH, adenosine and nicotinamide was studied. 2. All of these substances except NAD(+) act as uncompetitive inhibitors, i.e. double-reciprocal plots are parallel. NAD(+), however, is a ;mixed' inhibitor of alkaline phosphatase and is less potent than NADH. 3. Inhibition studies with pairs of the inhibitors suggest that, in spite of the difference in type of inhibition, NAD(+) and NADH bind to alkaline phosphatase at a common site. Adenosine and nicotinamide also seem to bind at the NAD site and the binding of adenosine is facilitated by nicotinamide, and vice versa. 4. The facilitation may indicate the occurrence of an induced fit for NAD(+) and NADH. Attempts to desensitize alkaline phosphatase to NAD(+) and NADH inhibition by partial denaturation were unsuccessful. 5. The results are discussed in terms of a two-site model in which separate, but interacting, regions exist on the enzyme to accommodate the adenosine and nicotinamide moieties of NAD, and a single-site model in which the adenosine part of the molecule is bound preferentially and this interacts with the nicotinamide fraction. 6. The activity of alkaline phosphatase can be changed fourfold by alteration of the NAD(+)/NADH ratio. This sensitivity to the redox state of the coenzyme could be a means of controlling phosphatase activity.     

Electrostatic field effects of coenzymes on ligand binding to catalytic zinc in liver alcohol dehydrogenase

The synergism between coenzyme and anion binding to liver alcohol dehydrogenase has been examined by equilibrium measurements and transient-state kinetic methods to characterize electrostatic interactions of coenzymes with ligands which are bound to the catalytic zinc ion of the enzyme subunit. Inorganic anions typically exhibit an at least 200-fold higher affinity for the general anion-binding site than for catalytic zinc on complex formation with free enzyme. Acetate and SCN- interact more strongly with catalytic zinc in the enzyme X NAD+ complex than with the general anion-binding site in free enzyme. CN- shows no significant affinity for the general anion-binding site, but combines to catalytic zinc in the absence as well as the presence of coenzymes. Coordination of CN- to catalytic zinc weakens the binding of NADH by a factor of 50, and tightens the binding of NAD+ to approximately the same extent through interactions which do not include any contributions from covalent adduct formation between CN- and NAD+. These observations provide unambiguous information about the magnitude of electrostatic field effects of coenzymes on anion (e.g. hydroxyl ion) binding to catalytic zinc. They lead to the important inference that coenzyme binding must be strongly affected by ionization of zinc-bound water irrespective of the actual acidity of the latter group. It is concluded on such grounds that the much debated pH dependence of coenzyme binding to liver alcohol dehydrogenase must derive from ionization of zinc-bound water. The assumption that such is not the case leads to the inference that there is no detectable effect of ionization of zinc-bound water on coenzyme binding over the pH range 6-12, a possibility which is definitely excluded by the present results.     

Cooperativity and noncooperativity in the binding of NAD analogues to rabbit muscle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.

Using NAD analogues as ligands, the structural requirements for negative cooperativity in binding to rabbit muscle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were examined. Although the affinity of nicotinamide hypoxanthine dinucleotide is considerably lower than that of NAD+, it also binds to the enzyme with negative cooperatively. Two pairs of nicotinamide hypoxanthine dinucleotide binding sitess were distinguished, one pair having an affinity for the analogue which is 15 times that of the second pair. Negative cooperativity is also found in the Km values for the analogue. Thus modification of the adenine ring of NAD+ to hypoxanthine does not abolish negative cooperativity in coenzyme binding. Adenosine diphosphoribose binding to the same enzyme shows neither positive nor negative cooperativity, indicating that cooperativity apparently requires an intact nicotinamide ring in the coenzyme structure, under the conditions of these experiments. Occupancy of the nicotinamide subsite of the coenzyme binding site is not necessary for half-of-sites reactivity of alkylating or acylating compounds (Levitzki, A. (1974), J. Mol, Biol. 90, 451-458). However, it can be important in the negative cooperativity in ligand binding, as illustrated by adenosine diphosphoribose which fails to exhibit negative cooperativity. Occupancy of the adenine subsite by adenine is important for stabilization of the enzyme against thermal denaturation. Whether the stabilization is due to an altered conformation of the subunits or stabilization of the preexisting structure of the apoenzyme cannot be determined from these studies. However, nicotinamide hypoxanthine dinucleotide does not contribute to enzyme stability although it serves as a substrate and shows negative cooperativity.